Misadventures in Babysitting
by D. M. Evans
Summary: Ed and Al have been left alone with a baby while the ladies have a girl’s day out


Misadventures in Babysitting (otherwise known as Why the Elric brothers shouldn't be left alone with infants)

Author – Cornerofmadness

Disclaimer – so not mine. All rights belong to Arakawa

Rating – Pg-13

Time Line/Spoilers – future fic, so spoilers up to current chapter of the manga but on the other hand, no direct references either. Pretty much if you know the Xing characters, you're good

Pairing – Ed/Winry, implied Roy/Riza, references to past Winry/Greed!Ling

Summary – Ed and Al have been left alone with a baby while the ladies have a girl's day out

Author's Note – Written for Evillittledog's birthday. Happy birthday. Hope you like it. Also, this is a sequel to my story, Gilded Cage. You don't have to read that one (but please do if you'd like to). You can pick up what happened in it from the events here easily enough.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Sitting on the window seat in the Hughes' guest room, Riza watched Winry nurse her son.

"Ed and Al want to spend time with Jianyu," Winry replied, glancing up at Riza, still marveling over the fact that she was finally back home. For over a year, she had lived in Xing as Ling's wife in repayment for his aid in defeating Father. A month had flown by since the brothers, Mustang and the others had rescued her and her son, Ling's heir; well more accurately his brother's child fathered in the homunculus' stead. "Mr. Mustang will be helping them."

Riza laughed, leaning against the sun warmed wall. "Because he'll be such a help."

"Oh, but he will. Mr. Mustang makes Ed do his best out of spite, if for no other reason." Winry's lips twitched. "It'll be nice to go out with you and Mrs. Hughes." Winry was looking forward to spending time with just the ladies. She had spent two weeks in Resembol with her grandmother so Pinako could get to know her great grandson and for Winry to settle back in. It felt odd being out of the Jade Palace where she had more people waiting on her than she had known what to do with.

Ed and Al had wanted to stay with her in Resembol but they owed President Armstrong for her help in rescuing Winry and the President wanted them in Central. So she packed up the baby and took Gracia's offer of staying in her guest room. Ed and Al were marvelously underfoot, erasing any fears Winry might have had about Edward wanting her back after being another man's wife and mother to his son.

Gracia rapped gently on the door frame then came into the room. Her flowery sundress swirled around her knees as she walked. "All right Elicia is over at Gaye's for the afternoon and I'm sure the boys will be here soon. Is the little man almost done?" Her gaze flicked to Jianyu.

"He is a greedy guts," Winry said, "But I don't mind. I actually enjoy this." She stroked his hair as his little lips gently tugged on her. "We're so close like this. I've learned to work one-handed. It's worth it to look at how big he's getting and realize it's all coming from me."

"I miss it," Gracia said, giving Winry a fond smile. "The diapers less so."

"Speaking of which, I better make sure they know where all the diaper stuff is," Winry said. "Before there's mass panic."

"Ed changing diapers, that's already cause for panic," Gracia laughed. "Maybe Alphonse should be in charge of that."

Feeling Jianyu letting go and getting squirmy in her arms, Winry turned him against her shoulder for a burp. "Ed really wants to prove he can do this." Winry figured that her friends understood the unspoken thought of 'Ed wanted to be her boyfriend and needed to prove his parental skills.' At least, that was her assumption as to his motives for volunteering to baby-sit. It was not a natural Ed-thing to do.

"It'll be good for him. Ed could use a little gentleness," Riza said with a knowing look, "He reminds me of Roy at that age, all attitude and rough edges."

Winry snorted. "I've noticed the similarities in personality but do me a favor and don't mention it to Ed. Jianyu throws enough tantrums without us having to endure one of Ed's."

"Have no fear," Riza assured her, getting up. "I think I hear someone at the door."

They headed downstairs into the living room and Gracia let the Elrics and Roy in. Mustang had an armload of books in his right and Hayate's leash dangling from the left. "You boys ready?" she asked.

"Sure am. How hard can it be?" Ed's gold eyes gleamed in anticipation.

"Famous last words." Gracia patted his shoulder making him frown as Jianyu flailed his arms at Roy, making a loud cry of joy.

"Boy, he sure likes the jerk," Ed sniffed, eyeing the scene.

"Brother, you need a new vocabulary," Al sighed, shaking his head.

After he set down the stack of books and surrendered the dog to Riza, Winry let Mustang take her son. Jianyu grabbed Mustang's glossy queue which draped over his shoulder. Mustang had let his hair grow as part of his disguise to get into the royal palace. When they got back to Amestris, he had kept the long hair. "I think Jianyu likes Mr. Mustang's looks. There is that resemblance to Ling."

"You're going to grow up to be a handsome devil like me, aren't you, little cousin?" Roy tickled under Jianyu's chin and the baby blew spit bubbles through his smiling lips.

"If you're going to say crap like that, you can just go now," Ed huffed.

"On that note, just a few things before we go. I have sterilized bottles in the kitchen. If Jianyu's hungry, well, he's always hungry, but if he's really ready for a bottle, he'll give you big eyes and shove his fingers in his mouth," Winry said. "The diapers are over there in the corner and his favorite blanket is in his crib upstairs. You can put it on the floor."

"We can handle it, Winry," Al assured her. "You ladies have a nice time."

"Oh, we will," Winry said, heading for the door before the boys changed their minds.

"Okay then, Al and I have talked out how this will work," Ed said to Roy who laughed.

"And you think the baby will cooperate?" He smirked at the shorter alchemist but gladly surrendered the baby to Al.

"How hard can it be? We have plans. Besides, Winry does it every day all by herself and there are three of us," Ed protested, shooting Roy an impatient look.

"Two of you. I'm just here for moral support," Roy said, stretching out on the couch after picking up one of the books he brought. "You two are on your own." He dug in his pocket and came up with a camera. "Oh, and I was instructed to man this." He snapped a picture of Al and Jianyu.

"So you're Hughes now?" Ed grumbled, giving Roy the fish eye.

"Maes isn't here to do it so it fell to me." Roy turned his attention back to his book. Hayate hopped up and curled up on his lap, while Roy distractedly petted him.

"I don't know how Winry holds him so easily. He's heavy," Al said, hefting the baby closer to his body. "When did she say his nap time was?"

"Not for another hour. I guess we could see if he wants his toys or maybe read to him," Ed said, already seeing a flaw in their plan. Jianyu was too young to really entertain himself yet.

Al sniffed then made a face. "I think he just went. Here, Ed."

Ed waved his hands frantically. "No way. You're holding him, you change him."

"Sir?" Al turned big eyes on Roy who didn't look up from his book.

"I'm moral support. Moral support does not change diapers," he replied, petting Hayate more determinedly. "Ed, you want to prove your abilities to Winry, you do it."

"I don't know what you mean." A nervous tone edged into his voice.

Roy peered over the edge of the book. "It's hardly a State secret that you want to be that boy's adoptive father, Edward. Diaper duty is part of the package."

Ed whined piteously, making Hayate cock his head at him.

"Fine, I'll do it this time," Al said, nodding to the accouterments Winry had left for the job. "You can at least help, Brother."

Ed laid down the changing blanket and Al rested Jianyu down so he could undo the diaper pins. Opening the diaper, Al scuttled back, gagging. "Oh, ewww, that's nasty!"

"How can anyone turn milk into _that_!" Ed waved a hand in front of his face.

"Don't know." Al gagged again, trying to get the diaper out from under the baby's butt and failing to dislodge it with his two-fingered-pinch-the-edge-of-it technique. Al's shoulders heaved as he turned his head. His eyes widened, hearing the camera clicking.

"If you puke, Alphonse, no one will ever let you hear the end of it." Roy couldn't keep the glee out of his voice.

"Brother's right, you are a bastard," Al growled then motioned to Ed. "Give me something to wipe him with."

Ed tossed him the tissues, keeping his distance. Still gagging, Al hurriedly wiped the baby's bottom then all but lost him in the cloud of baby powder he dispensed. Al struggled to get the fresh triangle of cotton cloth on the baby. As he was tucking it under the curve of Jianyu's butt, the boy farted, sending up a tiny cloud of powder. Ed and Roy laughed hard. Al glared at them then looked at the soiled one.

"What am I supposed to do with that?"

"You take it to the bathroom and swirl it in the toilet as you flush then put the diaper in the pail," Roy said helpfully, realizing the brothers had been too lost in their babysitting fantasy to really pay attention to all Winry's instructions.

"Ewwww." Choking, Al quickly bundled off the diaper.

"Women must not have a gag reflex," Ed observed, picking Jianyu back up.

"Keep telling yourself that," Roy said with a laugh. "Getting the idea you're in over your head yet?"

Ed scowled. "Never."

X                                 X                                             X

"Ed, can't you hurry up?" Al bounced a squalling Jianyu on his hip. "The milk is getting cold."

"How can he be hungry already?" Ed grumbled, struggling to pull the latex nipple cover over the full bottle. "It would help if General Jackass would stop taking pictures."

"Why? This is priceless."  Roy laughed.

Ed almost got the stubborn cover over the bottle then it sprung off, knocking over the bottle, covering him in milk. "Damn it!"  He righted the bottle, slammed the latex on top then clapped his hands, alchemizing it into place.  "There!"

"But now the bottle's only half full," Al protested.

"Too damn bad. I'm covered in the disgusting stuff. You feed him. I have to wring out my shirt," Ed griped, stripping it off. He decided it would be easier to alchemize dry.

"Gladly," Al replied cheerfully. He went back to the living room with the baby, obviously delighted in this task. Jianyu's earsplitting howls ceased when he was presented with the nipple. His little hands grasped the bottle and Al's fingers tight as he suckled greedily. "He has such perfect little fingers," Al said.

Pulling on his shirt, Ed sat next to his brother, stroking the baby's hair. "And so soft. It's like rabbit fur."

To no one's surprise, Jianyu drained the bottle dry then took to fussing in Al's arms.

"You need to burp him, Al," Roy reminded the younger man.

"Oh, right." Al turned Jianyu against his shoulder, patting him on the back. The baby let out a loud belch then promptly spit up all over Al's back. "Ewwww!"

"You forgot the burp rag," Roy held up the item that Winry had left with the rest of the feeding supplies.

"Ed!" Al plopped Jianyu in Ed's arms then got up, hustling from the room. "Baby vomit."

Ed snickered. "Al is so picky about being clean, too." He tapped Jianyu's nose. "Good baby. I'm glad you did that on him and not me." Ed glanced up at Roy. "Get a picture of that?"

"Oh, yes." Roy smirked, glad he volunteered to be moral support. This day was priceless.

X                                             X                                             X

Winry picked up a celery piece stuffed with chopped egg and mint, thrilled Gracia had suggested the tea house for lunch. The outdoor patio, under the lemony sun, felt warm and cherry. It helped her feel less like a stranger. After a year being confined in the Jade Palace, Winry was having trouble readjusting. "This is delicious…and so quiet. I hadn't appreciated how much noise children make."

Gracia laughed. "It's always amazing how something so small can be so loud." She glanced over at Riza who was nibbling at honey ham-wrapped asparagus. "So, it's your turn to have a baby."

"I already do. Mine just happens to be thirty-something," Riza dead-panned and Gracia snorted.  "I have thought about resigning my commission but not yet. Roy and I agreed not until things are more settled."

"I guess that makes sense," Winry said not quite able to hide the fact she liked the older woman and wanted her to be happy. A life alone in the military didn't seem very happy to her.

Riza studied Winry for a moment before asking, "How are you feeling, Winry? Honestly. We won't tell the boys anything."

Winry picked up her cup of rose tea, breathing in its sweet, floral perfume as she considered that. "I'm happy to be home, of course. This is where I belong, but…" Winry turned her gaze to the passers-by on the street, wondering how much she should say, how much she dared to admit even to herself. She was grateful for the space and time her friends allowed her to pull herself together. "When I was in Xing, I hated having maids, or I though I did. Right now, I miss having someone to cook my meals and wash dishes and clean the house and do the wash. I'd about kill for a maid…only not the ones who helped me bathe and dress. That was just intrusive." Winry shuddered.

"That doesn't make you a bad person, Winry," Gracia assured her, patting the girl's hand, her wedding ring glinting in the sun. Winry realized Gracia hadn't yet been able to put it away. "Who doesn't wish they had a maid? I'm pretty sure Riza will tell you that's what Roy thinks he has subordinates for."

Riza laughed with a rueful shake of her head. "He won't even sign his own paperwork unless threatened."

Winry laughed, almost a little too loudly. "I believe you. I miss the Royal Gardens. They were so beautiful." She sighed a little. "I'm not much of a gardener but I wish I had the talent to put one in at home."

"Don't tell him I told you but Roy has a very green thumb. He had to leave his garden behind in the East but, now that they have him put up in a big house here in Central, I'm sure he'll put in another one, even if he'll whine about digging and weeding. He's trained Hayate to pull plants on command," Riza said with a wide grin.

"See, even the dog is his maid." Gracia giggled.

"I'm not surprised," Winry said. She took another sip of tea, wanting to bring her friends in on a confidence but she wasn't sure she could. It would hurt to confess to it. She felt herself blushing at the thought.

"Are you okay, Winry?" Gracia asked. "You're quite…red."

"I shouldn't say this but...I have to. I guess I need to talk about it since it's been on my mind. But you can't tell Ed or Al," Winry begged, her eyes wide.

"Of course not. You can always trust us, Winry," Riza assured her.

"I know what Ling really is. I know he didn't give me a chance to back out of our agreement. I didn't even really have a choice about having a royal heir but I still feel very sorry to put him through the grief of thinking his son and I are dead. I know it's necessary but still… Winry said, her voice getting quieter with each word. "I actually miss him,"

Gracia reached over, putting a hand on Winry's. "I don't think that's such an unusual way to feel. Ling was pretty much the only friend you had for over a year."

"And you remember the person he was before he became a homunculus," Riza added. "He had good intentions just dubious judgment."

Winry watched the waitress put down some fluffy sweet biscuits and jelly. The mechanic picked at one, tasting the lavender in it. "The really worst part is…this would kill Ed if he knew," she mumbled. "I do miss Ling, especially…" Winry felt her face burn brighter. "You know…he was really really good at _it_. Not that I'm saying Ed's bad. We haven't…not since I came back. We did it once before but we had never done that kind of thing before that," she added in a breakneck babble, knowing it barely made sense. She pulled a vinegary face. "It wasn't very good."

Riza shot her a sympathetic look. "It almost never is good the first time, Winry. You don't really know what you're doing and you don't know each other's bodies yet."

"Riza's right, Winry. Don't count Edward out. He'll get better with practice," Gracia said, reaching for the jelly.

"And from all evidence, Ed's a quick study," Riza put in encouragingly, and Winry managed an embarrassed smile.

Gracia giggled suddenly, putting a hand in front of her mouth so not to spray biscuit bits. "Sorry. I was just thinking about my first time with Maes. He was so awkward it was like a comedy of errors. I remember thinking, 'this is it? This is what everyone is always talking about? Did it even last five minutes?' It hardly seemed worth it at the time," she said, her giggles catching on. "But it got better, much much better," Gracia purred, a satisfied smile on her face.

Riza stopped giggling long enough to say, "Tell me about it. That about sums it up for me too. Roy was…pathetic, no seriously," she said at their dubious looks. "First, he tried very hard to convince me he had never done it before. I don't know who he thought he was kidding. We lived in a small town. Virgin? More like town bike but I didn't care. Though, in retrospect it was hard to tell he wasn't a virgin that night."

"That bad? I'm surprised. Roy seems so smooth," Gracia said, biscuit forgotten in lieu of Riza dishing the dirt.

"Part of it was, he was worried about my father catching us and upset that I insisted on keeping my shirt on…just trust me there was a reason for that. Still, he was more than ready…which was the problem," Riza scowled. "Let's just say the gun didn't clear the holster."

"Opps." Gracia laughed.

Winry cupped her hands over the tops of her ears as if expecting them to catch her hair on fire. "I can't believe we're talking about this."

"You're old enough," Gracia waved her off. "Sometimes you just have to let it all out. That's what girlfriends are for."

"Believe us, Winry. Guys will make you insane if you have no lady friends to talk them over with," Riza assured her. "Because they don't get less stupid with age and only marginally less horny."

Chuckling, Winry went back to jellying her biscuit and took a bite. It tasted like roses. "I believe that completely."

X                                 X                                 X

"Does it still hurt?" Ed asked Al, who had a washcloth wrapped around ice pressed to his eye.

"Yes," Al growled, glaring around his hand. "Who knew a baby could wield his rattle that hard?"

"You got beat up by a baby," Roy said, Jianyu lying on the couch next to him as the alchemist played with him, dangling a favored stuffed toy above the boy. "That requires bribe money to keep it quiet."

"_See_? You always yell when I call him a bastard. Am I not right?" Ed crowed then smiled a wide evil grin. "Though he does have a good point."

"You do realize it's Jianyu four, the Elric brothers nothing?" Roy laughed then leaned over to blow a raspberry on the baby's belly. Jianyu cooed in delight.

"Will you shut up?" Ed grumbled, going over to the couch and scooping the baby up. He leaned close to Roy's ear and whispered, "You got a picture of Al getting whacked, right?"

Roy nodded and Ed thumped his shoulder then snatched up the baby's bear, too. "So you like the belly thing, eh?" Ed laid Jianyu on his blanket on the floor and blew a few raspberries of his own, watching Jianyu flail and giggle. After playing with him for several minutes, complete with a silly voice for the stuffed bear, Ed came to a conclusion. "I think he's wet."

"It's your turn to do the diapers," Al said hurriedly, huddling up and looking more infirm.

Ed stuck his tongue out. "I know. At least it's just pee. Get me some diapers."

Al tossed the ice onto the table and got the accoutrements for his brother. Ed took the wet diaper off and Jianyu kicked gaily at the freedom.

"Yeah, bet it feels good to have that wet diaper off." Ed leaned in to wipe the baby. Jianyu let out a loud happy sound then made like the fountain in the city square. Urine splashed into Ed's face, dripping off his chin onto his shirt. Al fell onto his side, howling.

"Fuck!" Ed wiped pee off his mouth. Jianyu kept giggling and kicking as he emptied himself.

"You're supposed to keep a diaper over his little thing just in case," Roy panted out between chuckles, red to his hairline.

"Where were you a minute ago with that pearl?" Ed growled, starting Jianyu crying.

"Ed, you're scaring him," Al said, holding his sides. "Roy, pictures, right?"

"Naturally." Roy wiped tears of mirth off his ruby face.

"Give me that camera. Right now!" Ed howled, making Jianyu cry louder.

"Brother, just diaper the poor baby," Al scolded then turned to Roy and hissed, "Run!"

Clutching the camera, Roy didn't need to be told twice.

X                                             X                                             X

"I'm glad to do some shopping. There isn't much in Resembol and, well…" Winry blushed, nodding to her expanded bosom. "These won't fit into anything I used to wear."

"Completely understandable and overdue," Gracia replied. She gestured with shopping bag-filled hand down the sidewalk. "Riza, isn't that Roy?"

"Looking very satisfied with himself, yes, it is," she confirmed as he approached them at a quick pace.

"Mr. Mustang, aren't you supposed to be helping Ed and Al?" Winry asked when he got closer.

"Moral support," he corrected her. "And moral support had to run for his life before Edward exposed all the film in the camera."

"Dare we ask what happened?" Riza grinned, brown eyes gleaming in anticipation.

"Oh, any number of things. Let's just say Al can't handle poopy diapers and Ed is incapable of putting a nipple on a bottle. My favorites, though, are Al taking a blow from a rattle or them trying to make a cranky baby stop crying and, of course, the thing that I had to race to the photography store to get developed, Jianyu spraying Ed right in the face." Roy started laughing again at the memory.

Winry covered her mouth, the shopping bags in her hands bouncing off her chest. "Oh no!" She cried over the sounds of laughter.

"It was perfection," Roy assured her. "I'm pretty sure I got a good shot or four."

"And we missed it!" Gracia laughed so hard tears rolled down her cheeks.

"I took the film to the place Maes always used. I'm considering getting that one blown up to billboard size," Roy said.

"Be nice," Winry said, bumping him with a shopping bag. "And I want copies."

"Don't you worry, I ordered plenty to go around," Roy assured her. "I'm sure Pinako will want a set of her very own. So, are you ladies done shopping? I can carry some packages if you want but, if you're not ready, I'll get back to the house to make sure the baby hasn't killed them."

"I think we'd better get back," Winry said, shaking her head. "We can always do this again another day. I'll be here for a while. I can't expect Ed to take much more."

"I'm almost disappointed. I was pretty sure if you stayed out much longer, Edward would have snatched himself bald in frustration." Roy chuckled at the mental image. "Of course, Little Cousin might be scarred for life in the process."

"Well, we can't have that," Winry laughed. "It was fun, ladies but…"

"We'll do it again. I'll get Mrs. Bellerose to watch Jianyu along with Elicia. She's an experienced sitter," Gracia offered.

"Awww, and rob Ed of the chance to play daddy?" Roy pouted. "He needs his practice, after all."

"Behave yourself, sir," Riza reprimanded gently and his pout deepened. Still, he allowed the ladies to dump off packages on him and he lugged them back to Gracia's home.

Roy set everything down in the living room, hearing a sharp intake of air from the ladies. He glanced up and saw their surprise. Gracia's floor had grown a cage around Jianyu's blanket. The baby was sound asleep next to his bear, his rattle clenched in his hand. Ed was also asleep on his belly, stretched out on the couch.

"He caged my son," Winry said, trying not to smile.

"I told you the baby was beating them up. Wonder where Alphonse is," Roy mused. "Jianyu probably killed him. Better check the alley. Ed probably hid the evidence."

Laughing lightly, Winry went over to the couch, leaning close. "Edward!" she said sharply and he jumped, startled. She pointed to the cage. "What did you do?"

Ed stood up, taking her shoulders in his hands. "_How_ do you do this every day? It's exhausting!"

Winry fought a loosing battle to keep a stern expression. "You've only had him a couple of hours and you put him in a cage."

"Only because I wasn't taking the chance he'd choose now to decide he can crawl," Ed explained. "He's done everything else."

"I think you're failing the daddy test, Edward," Roy said, smirking.

"I'm not his daddy." Ed glared at Roy then his expression softened as he turned his attention back to Winry. "But I'd like to be." The words came out in a hushed torrent, so soft and shy Winry barely made them out.

"That is very sweet, Edward." She kissed his cheek. "Where is Al? Roy is betting on murdered."

"There was an accident with the milk. Hayate licked it up," Ed said, his cheeks bright red.  "He went to get more."

"You're not having a good day, are you?" Winry said sympathetically, going over to the cage.

"The bastard told, didn't he?" Ed favored Roy with another glare as he clapped and got rid of the cage.

"Oh, yes," Winry laughed, scooping her son up. Seeing his mother was back in his world, Jianyu wiggled, his fingers going into his mouth. She sat down on the couch with him.

"He can't possibly be hungry again," Ed groaned. "We just fed him."

"He had a nap so, of course, he's hungry," Winry said, opening her shirt. Jianyu latched on as if he hadn't tasted milk in weeks.

"I think you're wrong, Winry. This isn't some brother of Ling's baby. It _is_ Greed's," Ed snorted, watching the baby nurse, finally without embarrassment.

"Or the next Gluttony," she replied flippantly as Al came in the door.

He stopped short, seeing them, a milk bottle in his hand. "Oh, I was hoping to make it back before everyone else. There was…an accident." Al held up the milk.

"So Ed told me." Gracia shook her head as Al went to put it away. She leaned over the couch and said quietly to Winry, "I can watch Jianyu tonight. Why don't you and Edward go out alone for a little while?"

"Are you sure?" Winry's eyes gleamed excitedly.

"I'll take Al to go see that horror movie he's been talking about," Roy offered with a salacious leer.

"What do you think, Ed?" Winry smiled at him, ignoring Roy's innuendo, maybe even relishing it.

"Best idea I've heard all day," Ed said eagerly.

X                                 X                                             X

Winry stretched on Ed's somewhat lumpy bed, knowing it was late but she didn't really want to go home yet. Ed's "where did you learn that" expression through certain parts of their date night had both empowered her and left her a little sad since it was with someone else that she had gotten pretty good at making love. "I feel guilty. Poor Gracia, she probably expected me home a while back, then again given the topics of conversation at lunch maybe not."

Ed's eyes cracked open and his tightened his grip on her. "Oh?"

"Girl talk." She ran her fingers through his sweat-snarled hair. She wondered if he knew how hot he looked with it loose.

"Oh," he muttered, nuzzling her neck.

"I have to get back, Ed." Winry kissed him. "I want to stay."

"I want you to stay forever," he replied sleepily.

Winry's eyes widened at the implications. "Edward, was that some sort of proposal?"

A horrified look flashed over his face that told her, yes, it was a marriage proposal and yes, he realized that this wasn't really quite the proper venue. "No! I mean, I want to do that right," he babbled. "But I want to do it….even if I can't take proper care of a baby."

"It's a learned skill and I know you'll do well, even if you can't dodge a stream." Winry smiled.

Ed snorted at her. "I'm going to try."

Winry kissed him again. "You have no idea how happy that makes me."

"And I'm going to be a way better dad than mine ever was," Ed promised her. "Though, I think he's got that grandfather gleam in his eyes," he added that sourly, still unused to Hohenheim being back in his life and trying to make up for never being there before.

"I've noticed." Winry wanted to snuggle in and just spend the night but it wasn't fair to Gracia or her son so she sat up.

Ed rubbed his face. "I'll walk you home. Besides, Al probably wants to come back at some point. He may have given up which means he's probably camped out on the Bastard's couch and that can mean nothing but bad things."

Winry just laughed, dressing. This was one of the best days she had the pleasure of in a long time. She expected better ones ahead, including the giggly pleasure of the photographic evidence of the Elrics Big Misadventure in Babysitting. "Ed, are you happy?"

"More than I deserve," he replied, snapping his pants close.

"No, you deserve it," she assured him. "We both do."

Ed kissed her then held open the door for her. "And it's only just beginning. It can only get better."

"That sounds so perfect," Winry purred, letting him lead her out into the starlight. This was where they were meant to be. Convinced of it, Winry cuddled close as they walked, dreaming about the days to come.


End file.
